-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- After years spent fighting in some of the world 's worst wars , former U.S. Navy SEAL Kristin Beck says she knows what she wants .

`` I want to have my life , '' she told CNN 's `` AC360 . ''

`` I fought for 20 years for life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness . I want some happiness . ''

Beck recently came out as transgender .

She wrote about the experience in a book , `` Warrior Princess : A U.S. Navy SEAL 's Journey to Coming out Transgender . ''

Trapped in a man 's body

It chronicles her life as a young boy and man , known then as Chris Beck .

Beck deployed 13 times , serving in places such as Bosnia , Afghanistan and Iraq . She earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart along the way .

Though she 's felt trapped in the wrong body since grade school , Beck did n't come out until after she left the military in 2011 .

Doing so earlier would have been too big a risk .

Transgender men and women are banned from service .

`` That 's a chance that if I took it , I might be dead today , '' she said .

`` There 's a lot of prejudice out there . There 's been a lot of transgender people who are killed for prejudice , for hatred . When the book came out -- some amazing support and some amazing praises -- but also some pretty amazing bigotry and hatred . ''

Beck says she does n't need people to love , or even like , her .

`` But I do n't want you to beat me up and kill me . You do n't have to like me , I do n't care . But please do n't kill me . ''

` No one ever met the real me '

Beck explains her years of hiding as living like an onion .

Deep down , under various layers , or skins , she hid her female persona .

`` It is a constant , but as you suppress and as you bottle it up , it 's not like on that surface , '' she said .

`` You would never notice it because I can push it so deep , but then it does kinda , like , it gnaws at you . So it 's always there . ''

Looking back , Beck believes she might have wanted to become a SEAL because they are `` the toughest of the tough . ''

She thought : `` I could totally make it go away if I could be at that top level . ... Maybe I could cure myself . ''

But the feeling of being born in the wrong body never went away .

And for her entire career , Beck kept her mouth shut .

She says virtually no one , out of the thousands of people she worked with , knew her secret -- it was so well hidden .

`` No one ever met the real me , '' she said .

Though her identity was hidden , the rest of what Beck offered was true .

`` I gave true brotherhood . I did my best , 150 % all the time , and I gave strength and honor and my full brotherhood to every military person I ever worked with . ''

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Kristin Beck served as a Navy SEAL for more than 20 years

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Known then as Chris Beck , the war veteran deployed 13 times

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Beck retired in 2011 and has since come out as transgender

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`` No one ever met the real me , '' she says